Learning to forgive
by fireswim1
Summary: Zutara
1. Chapter 1

Katara pov.  
>I sigh as I sit in my temporary air temple room. Maybe Zuko really has changed I think. But I shake my head, no, I can't let my gaurd down again. I will not trust Zuko until the war is over and the Fire Lord is defeated. When we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se I made the mistake of thinking he had changed, and the whole group paid the price. It has been two days since he joined our group and everyone seems to trust him! I don't know how they can forgive him so easily after all the terrible things that B**** has done! I let out a frustrated groan and step out of my room. I grab our cooking pot and start steaming the rice for dinner.<p>

Zuko pov.  
>"You're not putting enough energy into it!" I yell at Aang as he tries the simplest form in firebending history. I can't believe this kid is supposed to be our savior, I mean don't get me wrong he is a talented kid but firebending's going to be a real challenge for him. He's not ferocious enough for it. Sokka steps in between me and Aang "Okay, I think that's enough for today, Aang why don't you go help Katara with dinner." Aang nods enthusiastically and rushes over to Katara. I can tell he has strong feelings for her, but I'm not so sure if she has feelings for him. Katara gives a friendly, grateful smile to Aang and starts instructing him on how to cook the rice. I feel a pang of jealousy as I see them laughing with each other. I don't like admitting these kinds of things, but I think I like Katara. I instantly try to expel the jealousy, I can't LIKE her. Besides, she's the avatar's girl, how can I possibly compete with that. In addition to that I'm pretty sure she hates me, every time I look at her, she scowls. I shake my head, I don't like her, I don't like her, I don't like her. I've got to forget this crap.<p> 


	2. Bonding

Katara pov.  
>I grab the bowls and start passing out food for dinner. Aang, Toph, Sokka, Appa, Momo. The only person who doesn't have food yet is Zuko. I see the agitated look on his face and decide to mess with him a little more. I SLOWLY get a bowl and scoop the rice. Then just to have a little more fun I drop the rice scooper and scoop the rice again. "Just give me the damn food!" Zuko yells, finally losing it. I smile "Zuko, where are your manners?" I say politely. Zuko grumbles something under his breath as I hand him the bowl. "Serves you right." I say as I sit down with my own bowl of rice.<br>"What did you just say?" He asks.  
>"I said serves you right, you know trying to capture us, what you did in Ba Sing Se." I don't make eye contact with him, instead I stare at the steam curling up from the rice pot.<br>"I told you, I'm over that crap!" He stands up and storms off "Why don't you trust me!" he yells into the dark nothingness.  
>"Hmm, I wonder why!?" I shout back at him.<p>

Zuko pov.  
>She's a bitch! A stupid bitch! I can't believe I ever thought about liking her. She doesn't know what I've been through, she thinks I'm just a spoiled prince who's barely tame enough to choose good over evil. I scoff, I bet her life has been so easy, but she doesn't realize it. I don't see her sporting a huge nasty scar on her face! My scar...I get up and look into the tub of drinking water at the foot of my bed and touch the rough skin covering half of my face. After a few seconds I punch the water. My vision gets blurry and next thing you know tears start streaming down my face. Ugh! I freaking hate crying! A burst of fire shoots out from my mouth and straight through the poor roof, leaving a big hole.<p>

Katara pov.  
>I stare in shock as a burst of fire shoots through the air temple roof. Jeez, I knew Zuko was angry but I figured that he was always angry so it wouldn't make much of a difference. The whole gang is staring at me. I guess I have to go apologize now.<br>As I step into the doorway to Zuko's room my jaw falls to the ground in shock. Water is slowly spreading to the corners of the room. There is a huge gaping hole in the roof and Zuko. He is sitting on his bed, hugging his knees. When he hears me he looks up and it is obvious that he has been crying, from his puffy red eyes to his pink nose. I can literally feel my face soften as I walk over to the bed and sit next to him. I slowly lift his chin and wipe the tears away with my fingers. I take a deep breath and ask "Are you okay?" He looks up at me questioningly "Why do you care?" he says not so nicely.  
>"Because I do, I'm sorry." I say.<br>"I thought you hated me." He tilts his head.  
>"I don't hate you, I just don't really...trust you yet." I hesitate.<br>"Why?" he asks  
>"Well, for obvious reasons and the fact that I have specific problems with the fire nation." I start thinking about my mother.<br>"Like what?" He asks. Gosh, why is he so curious all of the sudden? I take on shaky breath.  
>"My...mother was killed in a raid, they were looking for the last southern water bender and my mother lied to protect me." I say as I wipe more tears from his face. His eyes widen as I say this. It's almost like he's saying Wow, I didn't know you actually went through something. I roll my eyes and scowl. "Why are you so freaking surprised?!" I ask.<br>"I'm not, I just...I never knew." he says.  
>"Well, now you do." I pout, why did I even tell him about that? It's not like he is totally open with me. He puts his hand on my shoulder almost comfortingly. I stare at it wide eyed and then at him. He doesn't mean it, I know he doesn't. He's too wrapped up in his own problems to care about other people and that is never going to change. I thought it would change in Ba Sing Se, but it didn't, it never will. With one swiping motion, I take his hand off my shoulder.<p>

Zuko pov.  
>I tried to comfort her, but she didn't want me to. I can't really blame her since that last time we bonded I stabbed her in the back. "Why do you comfort everyone but yourself?" I ask.<br>"I don't know, I just think it's the right thing to try and make people feel better." she shrugs.  
>"You are strong, you know that right?" I say. She looks at me with her big blue eyes then opens her mouth.<br>"How did you get your scar?" She asks curiously. I sigh, I've never actually told anyone this story.  
>"My father burned me after I spoke out of turn at a war meeting, I was forced to duel him, but I didn't want to and…" I look down. She stares at nothing like she's afraid to ask any further. Suddenly she stands up "I still don't trust you, but you need to have some fun for once." She plants a mischievous smile on her face. She grabs my hand and leads me back to where everyone is eating. "Zuko and I are going to the cliff." she announces to the group. Sokka raises and eyebrow "Zuko wants to go to the cliff?" he says shocked. Katara nods, what the heck is the cliff?<p> 


	3. The cliff

Chapter 3

Zuko pov.

My eyes start to water as Katara pulls me by my wrist up a windy cliff. "Where are we going?" I ask. Katara says nothing, she just turns around and smiles mischievously. After a few more minutes of walking we come to the edge of the cliff. I look over the jagged rock. We are about fifteen feet above a round pool of water. Katara sees my expression and immediately opens her mouth. "You're not afraid of heights are you?" She smiles. "N-no." I reply. "Good." She says as she starts undressing exposing her white water wraps and amazing body. Did I just think that? "What are you doing?!" I yell. She looks at me and rolls her eyes "Don't get too excited you perv, it's going to be used as a swimsuit." She points at the water pool below. Is she serious? She's jumping off the cliff? I suddenly feel sick to my stomach, but nonetheless I do not want her to think I'm scared or she'll never ever let me forget the moment tough Prince Zuko chickened out of something a peasant could do. I nervously remove my tunic and shoes. Without giving me a second look, Katara pulls me by my wrist to the edge of the cliff. I look down and suddenly feel like we are ten times higher than we actually are. "You first." Katara smiles. I gulp and I don't know how long I stand on that ledge but after awhile Katara touches my shoulder "Ok, I'll go first." Without hesitation she backs up, takes a running start and launches herself off the cliff doings double flip and splashing into the water. I roll my eyes...show off. I stand at the edge of the cliff waiting for her to pop out of the water. After a few minutes I start to get worried. "Katara! Where are you!?" I yell down at the water. I am frantically scanning the water for something, a sign that I didn't see her get out...anything.

Katara pov.

I smile as I walk back up the cliff. That was freaking awesome! I hate to say it, but that is only part of the reason I'm smiling. I'm about to mess with the all powerful fire prince. Oh, he must freaking out right now! I quietly creep up to him. He is standing right at the edge of the cliff, craning his neck with a worried look on his face, perfect position. I feel an evil smile forming on my face as I carefully get closer and closer. Finally, I am right behind him and he hasn't noticed yet! I stick my hand out in front of me and here a swoosh followed by a scream higher than my own and a splash. I collapse to the ground laughing my ass off.

Oohhhh damn, he's so going to kill me. But what the heck, I take a running start and jump off the cliff for a second time. I don't know why I like doing this but it's exciting and exhilarating and thrilling. It makes me feel...awesome. Before I know it I splash into the water right next to Zuko. I am under water for a few moments before I pop up and when I do Zuko is on the surface, his face as red as a tomato and his fists clenched at his sides. All I do is smile. "What the fuck would make you do that?!" He shouts. I roll my eyes "Oh loosen up, you did it didn't you? You were obviously scared, and on top of that it was fun!" I laugh like a little girl on a playground slide. Zuko looks at me as if he is waiting for me to say something.

"Well?" He says.

"Well what?" I tilt my head obviously confused.

"Aren't you going to make fun of me, tell me I'm weak, say the only reason you're hanging out with me is so you'll get something in return? Anything?" My mouth drops open, did he think I was that kind of person? Did he think I was using him?

"No! Of course not! Do you really think I'm like that?! I brought you out here to have FUN, why are you accusing me after I probably just gave you the highlight of your year!" I use my water bending to bounce out of the water and storm off into camp letting out frustrating sounds the whole ways back. How dare he accuse me of that! I was being NICE to him, which I had no reason to do considering all he's done.


	4. Chapter 4

Zuko pov.

I must admit I kind of do feel bad. It's just that no one besides my uncle has ever actually spent time with me without wanting something back. I really didn't expect Katara to go a-wall, but I guess that's just her.

I step out of the water and use my firebending to dry myself off. My guilt gets stronger by the minute. I mean you can't really blame me...I just wondered why after all I'd done to her she was being nice to me. But still, I have to apologize.

When I arrive back at camp everyone is sitting in a circle around a pot of rice. Their eyes shoot up as I walk in. I roll my eyes as I sit down, Katara must have told them. Katara walks in and glares at me. Jeez, I get it. After Katara finishes passing out the rice, I decide it would be a good time to apologize. "Um Katara, can I talk to you, in private?" She grits her teeth and then nods. Well at least she didn't say no.

Katara pov.

Okay, so he probably wants to apologize to me. My promise to myself is that I will always listen to apologies, even if I know I won't accept them. I stare straight ahead as he leads me through the narrow corridors of the Air temple and finally he chooses a room. He pushes the door open and I follow him in.

He leans against the wall with his arms crossed, in the exact same body position as me. "Look, I'm sorry okay, I had no right to accuse you of such things and I will not do it again." I sigh.

"Then why did you do it?" I ask.

"My whole life I've been treated that way, I didn't know people could be different." He looks down, "until I got trapped with you in Ba Sing Se." I look up at him and raise my eyebrows. "You look surprised." He says.

"Well yeah, since you are..." I try my best to imitate him. "PRINCE ZUKO! CROWN PRINCE OF THE FIRE NATION!" He stares at me and then chuckles.

"Okay, I admit that was pretty good, but what I'm trying to say is that I have never met someone, besides my uncle, that treats me like you do, or did at least."

"And how do I treat you?" I ask.

"Most people either treat me like an abused baby moose-lion or a fully grown, angry moose-lion." His golden eyes meet mine. Why did he have to choose the smallest room in the whole fucking air temple to open up to me. Maybe I should open up to him, no, I can't do that. I give myself a little pep talk, remember what happened last time Katara? When I look up from the ground, he is closer than he was two seconds ago. I feel like I should stop him, but when I try to put my hand out, I can't. He moves closer and closer, too close for comfort, and the weirdest thing is I still can't bring myself to say stop. His face is mere inches from mine and with just the slightest hesitation, his lips touch mine.


	5. Chapter 5

Zuko pov.

My first thoughts? Why the HELL am I doing this, why am I even TRYING, of course she's going to push me away. I mean I manhandled her grandmother, tried to capture her, stole her necklace and on top of that, I betrayed her. She hasn't punched me yet, but I'm expecting her to go Toph at any second now. Suddenly a hand grabs my shirt and sends me half-flying to the other side of the room. I look up to see a super pissed looking Katara standing over me "What the hell!?" She yells at the top of her lungs. I stand up, what am I suppose to say? "Um...I...um." I mumble, I have never mumbled in my life, what makes this situation any different. Oh! I know! This time is different because there's a pissed hot girl that I just kissed standing in front of me that is probably thinking of pushing me off the roof of the air temple right now. "That was my first kiss! My fucking first kiss! And you ruined it for me! Stay the hell away from me." And with that she storms out of the room and back to the others. I smack my head so hard it hurts.

Katara pov.

I can't believe he kissed me. I always imagined my first kiss to be magical. I always imagined it to be like it was in stories, you know, under the stars, looking perfect. Let me just tell you right now, that is a load of crap. I attempt to calm down before reaching the camp. I don't plan on telling anyone what went down. I take a deep breath, Zuko apologized, that's all he did. Of course I feel bad about keeping things from my friends, but if I tell them things are going to be super awkward around here. I stop to take a deep breath and I enter the camp. "What happened Katara? Where's Zuko?" Aang asks.

"Nothing happened, Zuko apologized then he went off to practice his bending." I say casually. Toph raises an eyebrow at me but to my relief continues eating her meal. When everyone is done eating they go off to who knows where, not giving a shit about the pile of dirty dishes that are now my responsibility. I sigh and start using the water in my water skin to clean off the dishes and set them all in one neat pile. I am halfway done when I hear footsteps approaching. I immediately drop the dishes thinking it could either be that psychotic blue-firebending bitch (what was her name? Amy?Azalea?)and her friends or some dumb thugs trying to pick a fight. But when I turn around it's Zuko, part of me was relieved, but part of me preferred the thugs, or even what's-her-name. "I can help with the dishes." Zuko says with his usual husky voice. I scowl,

"I'm fine thanks."

"You deserve some help, I mean, you do them everyday." Is he trying to pretend it didn't happen? I grit my teeth, is he expecting me to pretend it didn't happen as well? How could I forget something like that? How could he try to forget something like that?

"You can't just pretend that didn't happen." I say a little louder than I mean to. He looks down.

"I thought you wanted to forget." He mumbles.

"Why do you think that?" I say.

"If you didn't want to forget then why did you scream at me?" His voice has just a hint of curiosity in it. When I don't answer he asks again. "Why did you scream at me?" He says louder.

"Because I fucking liked it! Are you happy now?! I fucking liked your fucking kiss!" I whisper-yell. My eyes go wide in shock of what I just said, realizing that since the kiss I had been denying my harboring feelings. My cheeks burn as I stare at Zuko's wide eyes. "But I can't like it! I can't like you because of what happened last time! I can't like you because when you become fire lord the fire nation would never accept me! And I can't like you because my family would never accept you!" Zuko's eyes are so wide they literally don't fit on his face anymore. I keep waiting for him to say something but he doesn't. I let out a frustrated sigh and say, "You finish the fucking dishes you bastard." I head to my room and bury my face in my pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

Zuko pov.

Is it weird that I feel kinda okay right now? I mean she did get angry and storm off but she said she liked the kiss, which I was not expecting at all. Anyways, after dinner I kind of realized we are out of food. I even checked all the rooms in the air temple and there is literally no food anywhere. I figure that I could just take Appa to the nearest town and buy some more so I grab the extra money that I brought and take off.

When I arrive in the town and look at it, it looks...sad and dingy. I don't know, something just seems off about it, nonetheless I cover Appa with some long grass and walk into the dingy town. Once I get into the town I instantly try and look for a market or even just a street food stand but there is nothing like that in sight. I find a pub and figure that they probably sell some type of food so I walk in. I hate this town more and more as I explore more of it, everyone is depressed and no one seems to give a shit about...anything. The pub is no different, I smell cigarette smoke in every corner of the room and it's just unsettling. I catch this wierd girl with black hair and blue eyes staring at me. She has a piercing in her nose and another one on her eyebrow, I notice a tattoo peaking out from under her sleeve. She's actually really hot. She gets up and starts walking towards me. I notice that I have been staring at her and look at the floor, hoping she'll go away.

"Can I sit?" I look up and see her tall figure looming over me. I nod and she pulls out the chair, I cringe at the screeching noise as she pulls it out. " Shitty town huh?" She says, I nod again.

"What happened here?" I ask her, she looks at me.

"Let's get some drinks, I'll tell you the story." She ushers me to the bar and sits me down. The bar tender slides a keg with three x's on it towards us and she catches it smoothly.

"A whole keg?" I ask her.

"There are no glasses here, I told you, it's a shitty town."

"So what's the story?" I ask her, I don't intend to drink any of whatever is in that keg but she pushes it towards me and I figure what have I got to lose so I take a gulp and it is actually a lot better than I thought it would be.

"Well, the fire nation came and wiped it all out, and we didn't have any food so the only thing available that we could afford was drugs and yeah, this happened." She opens her arms and gestures at everything around us. She pushes the keg towards me again and I take another gulp. She runs her fingers through my hair and for some reason, I don't stop her. I start feeling sick and tired and I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead even though it's a cold night. "Are you okay Zuko?" She asks and smiles.

"How do you know my name?" I ask. She smiles and lifts the skin filled with the liquid that I don't know why I am drinking and she feeds it into my mouth. I attempt to push away, but I am too weak and my arms fall slack at my sides, everything around me gets blurry and the sounds in the pub get fuzzy. I feel her hand on the back of my head, stroking my neck. She uses her other hand to keep feeding me the liquid until the liquid just stops coming and the empty skin falls to the ground with me. All I see is her staring at me. "You've got a big bounty on your head Prince Zuko, and I never fail at a task."

Katara pov.

I gasp as from the corner of the pub, Zuko falls off his bar stool and a woman drags him out of the bar and no one seems to notice. It looks to me like she drugged him or something. When I saw him fly off on Appa I got suspicious so I wanted to find out where he was going and I took his war balloon and followed him here. I heard him say he needed food so I was about to leave this drugged town when I saw him walk into this pub, totally stupid and clueless. I mean what the hell! Don't walk into a bar filled with cigarette smoke and buff guys with tattoos taking pills. I tell you, he learned to fend for himself but he never learned the basics of don't talk to strangers.

I follow the girl and drugged Zuko to a clearing in the woods where I left my war balloon. The girl looks at it. "Huh, this outta do. I guess whoever brought it is just gonna have to miss it for a little while." I take a deep breath and step out from behind the tree "That's mine bitch!" I yell as I throw a group of ice shards at her. To my surprise she ducks and rolls out of the way of every single one. I blast her with literally all the water from the nearby stream and she is blasted backwards, she hits tree and I trap her on the tree by freezing the water around her. "That was too easy." I say as I grab Zuko and drag him to where I saw him leave Appa. And with a swift "yip yip" I set us in the air.

I see Zuko's eyes flutter open and as he sees me he says "Katara?" And I nod my head and continue to use my healing water on his head.


	7. Chapter 7

_Katara pov._

I spend the rest of the flight trying to think of why that woman was chosen to hunt Zuko, or why she wanted to hunt Zuko. She could just be an average bounty hunter, but no average bounty hunter would be on the hunt for Zuko, not after Ozai declared that if anyone who wasn't ordered by him laid a finger on Zuko they would face a fate worse than death. She could not have been ordered by Ozai to kill Zuko, she didn't look at all like she was fire nation, I close my eyes and bring up an image of the woman in my head, she didn't have any hint of any nation on her, any emblem...nothing.

A few minutes later I hear a shuffle behind me and look back to see Zuko sitting up in Appa's saddle.

"How are you doing?" I ask him.

"Fine." he says. After an uncomfortable silence I finally decide to ask him about his experience.

"So...What happened?" I say nonchalantly. He sighs,

"I walked into the pub and she was there, she started walking towards me and I felt drawn to her so I spent some time with her, and...she fed me this...weird liquid that made everything around me fade and before I knew it you were there and then she just disappeared." I raise an eyebrow at him.

"A pub?" What the fuck? There was no pub anywhere near the place where I fought emo girl.

"Ya, it was in this shitty town not far from where you saved me." He looks at me like I am crazy.

"There was no town for miles from where we were, what town were you talking about?" I gasp, emo girl was not a human, I had read traps about these kinds of traps before, the girl, although covered in piercings was beautiful and any guy would be drawn in by her, she fed Zuko a strange liquid and dragged him off where no one would find them, I know who she is. "Zuko, you got seduced by Sairen."

_Zuko pov._

"Sairen? Who's Sairen?" I honestly have no idea what she is talking about.

"She's the siren spirit, the legend says that she seduces men and leads them into oblivion so that they are never seen again, she was conceived because at the time the spirits and humans were at war and the spirits needed a way to win so they made her slowly pick off the soldiers, of course it didn't work because she was captured by the soldiers and by the time she escaped peace was made. But they say that once seduced by Sairen you can never escape her grip, Zuko you will feel as though you need her, you will slowly become her worshipper." Katara says. My jaw drops open.

"But, we don't know that, I mean it's just a legend right? There haven't been any actual cases right?" She shrugs her shoulders and silently turns around.

When we get back to camp we are bombarded by questions from the group, Sokka asks where the fuck we were and Aang just asks why Katara and I were together, finally everything calms down which gives Katara and I the chance to tell them everything. Why we were there, how I got seduced, and the legend about Sairen.

"But it's probably just a legend, I mean there haven't been any actual cases right?" I say hoping to god that emo girl was just a bounty hunter with interesting strategies.

"Well actually…" Sokka says, but is cut off when Katara elbows him. "Ow! What the fuck Katara!" He yells.

"No Zuko, there haven't been any cases," she says, "none whatsoever."


End file.
